Grist Mill Reopens with Starlight Chef

The spacious Glen Ellen restaurant that was once a grist mill has seen its share of owners come and go. And come and go. After a false start last summer under new owner Narayan Somname of nearby Yeti, the restaurant has hired former Starlight Wine Bar Thaddeus Palmese and a former Cyrus vet, Will Inadomi, to head up the kitchen. Palmese is well known around Sonoma County for his take on Creole cuisine, and says he’s got a smoker at the restaurant “the size of a Suburu.”

The new menu, which debuted just a few weeks ago, will include some favorites from Starlight (gumbo, beet salad with goat cheese croquets and his famous burger), but will add a host of new dishes including buttermilk brined fried chicken, Gypsy Girl sausage with dirty rice, homemade buttermilk biscuits, grits and baked mac and cheese.

Oh, and Palmese says leaving Starlight (which is owned by family members) was purely amicable, and a way for him to stretch his wings with a new project.

Hours are 11:30a.m. to 2:30p.m. for lunch, 5-9p.m. for dinner. The restaurant is closed on Tuesday and will feature Monday Night Football specials. 1403 Arnold Drive, Ste19, Glen Ellen, 933-3005.